NSNC 2026 Columnist Contest - Now Open

Sunshine Week March 15-21, 2026

Consider a Gift to the NSNC Education Foundation

Join NSNC and Reap the Benefits!

NSNC 2026 Columnist Contest - Now Open

Contest submissions now open! We are accepting entries from columnists, bloggers, and serial essayists  for our 2026 Annual Columnist Contest (for work published in 2025). We will accept entries from columnists, bloggers, and serial essayists published in 2025.  Everyone is welcome to submit. You don’t have to be an NSNC member.

Sunshine Week March 15-21, 2026

We’re counting down to #SunshineWeek 2026, March 15-21. Together, we champion #OpenRecords and #OpenGovernment nationwide March 15-21. #FOIA #transparency. Free resources: sunshineweek.org

Consider a Gift to the NSNC Education Foundation

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists Education Foundation is a tax-exempt charitable organization [501(c)3] devoted to the education and training of new and experienced columnists everywhere. Donate here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/NSNCEdFnd

Join NSNC and Reap the Benefits!

We are excited for What’s in-store for NSNC members this year. We are gearing up to launch the NSNC Annual Columnist Contest on January 15, so you’ll want to be sure your membership is up-to-date. Also, if you have ideas, suggestions, etc., please share them with our President Meredith Cummings at meredithcummings@gmail.com or Executive Director Ginny McCabe at nsncdirector@gmail.com. Thank you for your support of NSNC!

Jeff Zaslow College Columnist Award – Enter by March 1

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists Education Foundation is seeking entries for its 14th annual Jeff Zaslow College Columnist Award . The NSNCEF will award scholarships to three outstanding student newspaper columnists who write for U.S. college or university undergraduate newspapers. First prize is $1,000. Second prize is $500. Third prize is $250. In addition,…

Letters From Bill by Gloria O’Donnell

“Letters From Bill: 20 Years of Correspondence With Bill Clinton”, revised edition, is now available in Kindle format, says author, Gloria O’Donnell. The new edition includes recent comments from Bill Clinton. Gloria O’Donnell’s friendship with former President Bill Clinton began in Arkansas prior to his first election run,  Gloria assisted in Clinton’s campaigns through two…

Roger Ebert’s Honors Continue

Roger Ebert was recently honored by Chicago Magazine as a 2011 Chicagoan of the Year for his “journal and life itself.” Ebert was the first place winner for two consecutive years in the Blog Category of the NSNC Column-Writing contest. At the Detroit Conference, he was presented with our Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest…

Macon Whoopee! 2012 Conference

By Ed Grisamore 2012 Conference Chair In its 84-year-old history, the song “Makin’ Whoopee” has been sung by everyone from Eddie Cantor to Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Mel Torme, Louie Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. In recent years, it was recorded by actress Michelle Pfeiffer in the movie “The…

Erma Bombeck Writing Competion opens

The Erma Bombeck Writing Competion opens Tuesday, January 3. New to the contest this year is a $15 entry fee and a $500 prize to four winners, along with a complimentary registration to the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop April 19-21. There are two categories, humor and human interest., but entries are limited to one article…

Seeding the Writing Terrain

By Suzette Martinez Standring, NSNC past president Do you ever feel like you’re writing the same old, same old? I did, and I needed a new way to look at my work. So naturally, I went to jail. No, I wasn’t convicted of anything. Last fall I volunteered to teach a meditation and journaling program…